Friday, June 03, 2011
Ron Paul wants to legalize heroin?
Ron Paul is the GOP's leading libertarian. His ideologically pure stands on heroin and other issues (e.g. prostitution) may cost him many conservative votes. He naively concluded that if heroin were legalized "nobody" would use it. His frankness will, IMHO, keep hm from getting the GOP nomination for Pres. This highlights the split between the GOP and its libertarian wing. Libertarian ideas frighten many on both the liberal left and conservative right. There is a libertarian political party, but it will never really take off. While I agree with many libertarian ideas, I am a "cautious" libertarian and feel legalizing heroin and cocaine are massive, risky public health experiments that are too risky.
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Heroin is highly addictive making it dangerous for recreational use. If available OTC to the general public, user rates will likely climb along with its adverse effects. Ron Paul is naive believing few people would use legalized heroin.
ReplyDeleteI submit that Mr. Paul is worse than naive . . . he's one of that group of political narcissists who are willing to offer outrageous, stupid proposals that are motivated by the out-of-control need for admiration and power. The libertarian camp is unfortunately home to many former maladjusted youth who subscribe to philosophy rooted in conspiracy theory. Positive change can be accomplished without reckless revolution, but that process provides less opportunity for the self aggrandizement offered by shallow populism.
ReplyDeleteHe is not saying legalize it across the board. He is making a point that these issues should be regulated at the state level. I honestly do not think that Ron Paul wants Herion legalized, he does however want states to be free to vote on such issues and not let the federal Gov. have more power than it needs. It used to be that alcohol and tobacco were illegal in some states and that was not that long ago. You have missed the concept that Ron Paul is trying to convey. True freedom is letting people run their lives on a local level. The reason why Ron Paul makes the right and the left so nervous is that he wants less control from Gov. over the people and for elected officials to actually serve the people. An elected position should be a humbling one and not one of pride. Ron Paul is the right man for the job as he messes with the governmental status quo. I am tired of the Clinton, Bush and Obama types. THAT IS NOT CHANGE!
ReplyDeleteOh . . . gosh . . . I wish I had known that what he said wasn't really what he meant. Had I known that he was simply advocating for "true freedom", I would have granted the adoration he craves. These closet objectivists are so brilliant . . . as long as reality is not an encumbrance.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone:
ReplyDeleteAnonymous: Yes, Paul seems to want heroin and prostitution issues returned to the states. However, when returned to the states, his libertarianism, IMHO, would argue that they should be legalized. They are "exercises in liberty." IMHO, the bottom line is that his libertarianism would ultimately lead him to support legalization by the states. I like a lot about Paul, but I think he is too much of a libertarain ideologue. Ideologues pursue ideology at any cost. The costs of legalizing heroin would be too high. Legalizing prostitution? I am open to that. That's why I consider myself a cautious libertarian. Libertarianism was a philosophy which began gelling in the 1700's and 1800's. It made a lot more sense then, than it does today (e.g. no heroin or crack cocaine back then) However, I too am tired of the Clinton, etc. types.
44 seems to be missing Dr. Paul's point.
ReplyDeleteIt is not really about more or less folks using Heroine, it is about the damaging effects of the "War on Drugs".
But to address 44's point- one of the great dangers with street drugs (including Heroin- the 1898 Bayer trademark name for diacetylmorphine) is the lack of quality control as to dosage and purity.
Insulin would possibly be at least as dangerous under those conditions.
Why do so many think the use of Heroin will go up dramatically if it were not illegal?
What evidence do we have to support such a conclusion?
Were a greater percentage of Americans Heroin addicts, before it was banned by Congress in 1924, than are addicted today?
Why has the U.S. Government helped support the opium trade since the late 1960's?
Why are U.S. Marines under orders to protect the world's primary opium poppy fields and harvest in Afghanistan?
FYI- Opium usage goes back to 3400 B.C. and diacetylmorphine has been with us since 1874.